Imagine. The label was on the cookies from Turkey. The chocolate spread oreo-type ones I scored. Now I read the label more closely. WOW, English. Along with a lot of Turkish, Russian, Arabic, etc., etc.

Now I will have to look someplace else to satisfy my craving for pig fat.

Today is the first day of school in Israel. Her mom is a classroom teacher. I can't imagine what faces she will see as she goes through the day and whom she'll be reminded of, and how...

I joke a lot about the IDF but I don't really mean it seriously. They're putting their lives on the line for me and all us civilians. They're out there, perfect targets in their uniforms / Humvees / locked police stations. And on the streetcorners checking everyone else carefully. Outside my hotel window they stop cars all night, their beacons flash reflections into my room off the walls of the Tower of David.

It looks like Naatz and I are going to link up in Haifa, at least for awhile. I think she thinks it's cute that I don't know a damn thing about the place except via my guidebook, and it's her turf all the way. She wants me to disregard the book because "You've got me." ... as she says. Naatz of few words. Leaving Thursday for three days minimum up there... Besides her, the main attraction is the Mediterranean, I might just get my buns in there and not come out for a long time. Nothing but desert sun for two weeks here, so far. There's also a local crafts fair on Friday afternoon that's interesting.

One-quarter of the Haifa area is Arabic and they all keep going on the Jewish Sabbath = Sunday, which is Friday night and Saturday in gentile America.

Gentile is the name Jewish peeps give to those of us who are not Jewish.

I found an awesomely delicious new French restaurant just right inside the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, it's only been open eleven days and all the local staff went to Europe to train. The poached salmon is to die for [WOOPS I can't use that expression here!!] and the Heineken is exactly the right temperature [38 degrees, I'm not a purist. I like my beer to bite me.]

I went to Ramallah yesterday as a guest of the French government and the puppet artists. I will tell you the story of Fawath later, it's too long for here. She's one of the kids in the program. And how I fell in love with the French tricouleur is a story by iself.

Naatz never told me how powerful a Diplomatic Pass is, when you drive up and stop and meet up with the soldiers. I don't have one, but the driver did. It made all the difference. Almost felt like I was back in Boston instead of inside this unending war movie O.o

The steak is cow, but the sausage and linguiça are mostly pork. Also, apparently it's a big no-no to eat dairy and meat on the same meal? Same bite, even.And she didn't eat it all, no. Only took a couple bites. Ruud finished his.

And, it is totally delicious. Which reminds me, the place I usually eat them at is open since yesterday. :) (It'd closed for holidays)